I am one hundred percent vegan in diet only. My veganism is for physical, cultural, emotional, and spiritual reasons. As a divine being, I choose to eat a divine diet. I do not like to label myself as vegan. Not only must my food be vegan, but it must be whole. I prefer to call my diet a holistic or Ma'at diet. The diet I choose is based on the principles of Ma'at: order, balance, and harmony. I choose to eat the diet of my ancestors. Eating vegan foods will not provide mental clarity, well-being, and self-healing. However, eating vegan whole foods will provide the body with the wisdom to heal itself.
When I was twenty-one, I had a polyp on my colon. People over fifty are screened for polyps, not twenty-one-year-olds. After the polyp was removed, I never thought to change my diet. I didn't until December 2000, when I read Sacred Woman by Queen Afua in one day, and decided to become a vegetarian. It was clear to me beyond a doubt that vegetarianism was a way to achieve Afrikan liberation, mentally and spiritually. The next day, I ate no flesh. That day, while eating a cookie, I thought to myself, “Why am I eating this? Why am I eating dairy and eggs?” This was the last day I had dairy or eggs, and went vegan immediately. Consuming toxic foods unknowingly is ignorance; eating them with full understanding is either stupidity or addiction, and my thirst for enlightenment was stronger than any addiction. I certainly wasn't stupid. So, here I am today, almost six years later, a healthy, healing, and spiritual Nubian woman.
My son was blessed to have experienced a holistic, vegan diet from the womb, since I had a vegan pregnancy. My diet consisted of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. I made sure I ate raw, green, leafy vegetables daily. My supplements included liquid chlorophyll, vegetarian Omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids, B complex, calcium, magnesium, B12, and blackstrap molasses. I delivered a healthy baby boy, 7 lbs 13 ozs, in a planned home birth. I had no vaginal tears and an easy recovery. I know my vegan diet provided me with the discipline to endure the pain and to stay physically and mentally balanced. It also gave me the courage to believe in myself as a healer and encouraged me to learn more about the medical system. The more I learned, the more I realized I wanted to heal myself and stay out of the system. This knowledge led to my home birth. Birth is not a sickness. I do not live a life of sickness, but of healing and detoxification.
My son, Sun-Ra, was breastfed and cloth-diapered. He was neither circumcised nor vaccinated. Only vegan products were placed on his skin. I choose to cloth-diaper my son because it is healthier for baby and the environment. Cloth also saves money. Eating a Ma'at diet creates a closer connection to the earth and the spirit. You become an earth mother, thinking twice about placing waste upon the land. The laws of Ma'at state, “I will not lay waste on the plowed land.”1 The diet affects all aspects of life. It opens one's ear to the spirit of the earth and the universe. The Ma'at diet enabled me to come full circle, to feel the vibration of the universe. Holistic living puts you in tune with your oneness with the universe, and you have no choice but to respect and protect it. This results in a greater awareness to protect your family. Through nutritional healing, I protected my newborn baby like a hawk.
When my son began eating solid foods, they were vegan, organic, and homemade. When I bought ready-made baby foods, they also were vegan. I never placed foods in the microwave, but simply ran them under hot water in a container or storage bag. Microwaves are toxic. By the time my son was one year old, his favorite foods were raw tomatoes. When we went to the market he would grab green and leafy vegetables from the cart and eat them. He also loved raw green peppers and garlic. Yes, raw garlic; my baby is a hardcore green baby! When I make raw meals he begs for more. He is an inspiration to me, a beautiful testament to the Ma'at diet. He is a child who never consumed toxic foods, receieved toxic vaccinations, or experienced doctors poking at him. When he had his first fever, he was healed holistically. I placed onions in his socks and on his body. I also used herbal teas and tinctures. The fever vanished by the end of day. I only used the elements of the universe for healing:
The universe and us humans are made up of the elements; therefore, I use them for healing my family. I use my own healing intuition, not those of the Western medical industry. A diet free of waste and toxicity allows the connection to the healing powers of the universe. The vegan diet is safe for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. It is also safe for children. But it is imperative that whole foods be consumed. I encourage mothers to feed their families foods that are organic whenever possible. Read labels, stay away from artificial colors, additives, MSG, and preservatives. If you don't know what an ingredient is, don't buy it. Being vegan is not enough. There are many dangerous chemicals in foods that are free of flesh, eggs, and dairy. Refrain from white rice, white flour, and other bleached foods. Instead of feeding your family the standard rice and potatoes as the starch for your meal, try grains such as millet and quinoa. Millet is an extremely healthy ancient African grain. It is highly digestible and very high in protein. It is also a great source of B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, vitamin E, magnesium, and iron. Quinoa contains all eight essential amino acids! Strive for more than veganism; adopt a whole-foods diet to secure your family's optimal health.
The womb is the primordial waters from which all life comes. The netert (goddess) Nu represents these waters. Ra, the life force, is the fire element, which rose from the water element. His children are Shu and Tefnut, air elements. Shu and Tefnut gave birth to Geb, the earth element. Afrikan spirituality reflects the cosmology of the universe. The watery womb created the Neteru. Neteru is the name for the Kemetic (ancient Nubian Egyptian) deities. Ask yourself, “Is my womb suitable for bringing forth the next gods who will walk this earth? Am I using the elements of the universe to create and heal?”
The Afrikan woman's womb is attacked by hormonal birth control, pesticides, and other toxins. Women also have womb issues related to holding on to emotional hurt and pain. They sometimes curl their bodies up into a fetal position with their legs and arms close to the womb. Women take the hurt and give it to the womb. A woman will never be healthy if the womb center is holding pain and emotional baggage; she cannot bring forth healthy children if the children have been created in a womb that is dysfunctional. The mother and father must cleanse their whole being before conception. Once the child is conceived, parents must begin nurturing the child while in the womb. Mother and father need to send the child loving and healing light daily. Parents must be conscious of the energy being sent to their unborn child. They should send only the divine and positive. The child is encapsulated in water. Water carries emotions, so the baby can receive both positive and negative energy. Whether the mother is feeling joy, anger, or sadness, the unborn child will feel it, too.
The unborn child has the ability to hear when he or she has been in the womb for about four and a half months. This is when the ear becomes functional. Iyas (mamas): Sing Afrikan cultural songs to your babies and read to them in the womb. Babas (fathers): The child can hear your voice, too. While there is some evidence that the child hears the father's voice and that his voice has a calming effect on the newborn, the link between the child's ear and the father's voice is not even remotely as direct as the mother's voice. Hence, the greatest contribution that the expectant father can make is to love his child's mother.2 In Senegal and Mali, the father takes his special bond seriously; a father may loosen his belt during the mother's pregnancy to help establish his connection with the child. Sometimes, during the mother's labor, the father will have his belt loosely wrapped around the mother's waist as an offering of his own nyama (life force) and support for the child's entry into the world.3
It is obvious that unborn children have an outside connection even while in the womb. Kings, love your queens. Hold them up to the highest position. Rub their feet and back. Help out with the cooking and cleaning around the house. Make her feel special. Prepare her an herbal bath. Take time out each day to show her your appreciation. Send her love so that she may pass this love on to the child. Sending love to the womb is essential because so many toxic energies are present. The Environmental Working Group published a report stating that unborn babies were stewing in a toxic soup.
The Red Cross took ten samples of umbilical cord blood and found an average of 287 contaminants in the blood, including mercury, fire retardants, pesticides, and the Teflon chemical PFOA. Also found were polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are produced by burning gasoline and garbage, which may cause cancer; flame-retardant chemicals called polybrominated dibenzodioxins and furanes; and pesticides including DDT and chlordane.4 Mercury can damage the fetal brain and nervous system. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons increase the risk of cancer. Pesticides can cause fetal death and birth defects. Flame-retardant chemicals can hinder brain development. Some European countries have taken notice and are beginning to use fewer flame retardants. The United States, however, has not taken heed. The same group analyzed the breast milk of mothers across the U.S. in 2003 and found varying levels of chemicals, including flame retardants known as PBDEs.5 The bedding many pregnant mothers and children sleep on contains flame retardants and toxic dyes.
Mothers can do many things to keep their babies safe in the womb. The universe balances negative and positive energy. Mothers can counter the negative energy with the following positive energy:
A proper vegan diet is safe during pregnancy and lactation. Vegans do not eat the flesh of animals. Nor do they eat animal byproducts, such as milk and eggs. Many animals are pumped with antibiotics and hormones that are passed on to the womb. Dead animal flesh and its byproducts also carry adrenaline and poison. Adrenaline is produced when the animal experiences fear right before its death. This poison is not healthy for the unborn child. Dairy also can be problematic because it creates mucus. Mucus causes disease, tumors, and cysts. Milk also contains pus (white blood cells) and bacteria.
A mother's caloric needs rise during pregnancy. According to John McDougall, M.D., mothers will need 200 to 250 calories more a day. However, physically hardworking pregnant women from the Philippines and rural Africa take in no more, and often fewer, calories than before pregnancy. Fortunately, their foods are primarily nutrient-dense vegetable foods that easily provide the raw materials to grow a healthy baby.6 Afrikans are able to eat fewer foods, but consisting of more vegetables, and still provide for their babies. There is great value in plant-based diets. Mothers do not need to consume large amounts of animal protein for a healthy and fit pregnancy.
I was successful maintaining a vegan diet during pregnancy and the lactation period. I know the vegan diet was vital in creating a smooth pregnancy. However, mothers should not change their diet drastically during pregnancy, because it will result in the body rapidly detoxifying. These toxins can be released to the baby. Vegan mothers concerned with whether or not they are eating correctly should consult a vegan nutritionist to provide nutritional counseling and answer questions related to weight gain, caloric intake, fats, minerals, and vitamins needed.
When I was pregnant I was told I was anemic. I didn't believe I was truly anemic because I felt great. My midwife suggested I take a popular herbal supplement that helps to make most people's hemoglobin counts rise. However, my count did not rise. She then suggested the herb yellow dock, which didn't work either. I also drank a lot of chlorophyll and added blackstrap molasses to my nondairy milks. My midwife then suggested that my hemoglobin count might be what is normal for me. Hemoglobin tests are not always effective. As a matter of fact, this test cannot diagnose iron deficiency because the blood volume of pregnant women is supposed to increase dramatically. The regrettable consequence of routine evaluation of hemoglobin concentration is that, all over the world, millions of pregnant women are wrongly told they are anemic and are given iron supplements.7
I didn't abandon my vegan diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I made sure I ate a lot of live foods daily. I found that fruit kept my stomach at ease and helped me avoid morning sickness. My lunch always included raw, green, and leafy vegetables, which contain many nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and fiber. To keep up my good fat intake I ate a lot of avocados and added liquid vegetarian omega-3, -6, and -9 fatty acids to my meals. Many vegans worry about vitamin B12. I'm sure for some vegan mothers this worry may escalate. Most vegan mothers rely on B12 supplements, fortified foods, fermented foods, and nutritional yeast. Do not rely on nutritional yeast alone.
There is a Malawian Chewa proverb that says, “Mother is god number two.” She is a Mut (pronounced moot), mother goddess. Afrikan women are divine earth mothers who have been blessed with the ability to create. Afrikan mothers, sit proudly on your throne. The name Auset means seat or throne; this great Netert (Kemetic goddess) was the ultimate mother. She was devoted to motherhood and marriage. Auset was a healer who brought her husband back to life, and who birthed a divine son who would bring order and righteousness to the world again.
Auset lives within us all. Afrikan mothers must have the confidence to birth in their own images. The birth experience will be remembered for the rest of the mother's life so it must be made a blessed event. Mothers are in control of their births and bodies; no one should interpret what the birth should be for the mother. This is her blessed experience. The divine spirit manifesting in the womb should be protected. In the same way Auset protected her son Heru from Set, mothers have the right to question and say no.
Mothers can begin meditating on the birth as soon as they are aware that conception has taken place. She must prepare her body, mind, and spirit for a celestial birth. I visualized and meditated during my pregnancy. I sat in my bathtub of salt water and talked to my son, guiding him through our birth experience, which was soon to come. I reassured him that it would be safe to leave the womb when it was time. I visualized him leaving my womb in a peaceful manner, the cervix opening slowly like a lotus flower, allowing his head to enter the birth canal. I envisioned him crowning slowly and then pulling him up with my own hands onto my belly. I also sent healing colors and light to my womb. I massaged my womb, and let the water caress it. While in the bath I read the book Coming Forth by Day to my son. This title, also known as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, is one of the world's oldest books. It is essential that babies are exposed to enlightening literature. Music is also important; choose musicians such as Nina Simone, Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, and The Wailers. Give your baby music and words that shine a healing light on the womb. Sit still, be at peace, and find your center. Take time to imagine your birth and what you need to do to create this heaven.
Altar work can also be used to connect with the baby. My altar included candles, seashells, plants, water, blue cloth, and crystals. The altar was organized around a doll of the Yoruba orisha Yemaya, mother of the orishas. She is the protector of mothers and their babies. Parents can create any type of altar that resonates with them and their baby's spirit. My altar was the special place where my baby and I could connect with each other. The women of the Dagara culture create shrines for their unborn babies from things such as plants, water, food, and medicine bags. A shrine is and will be a sacred space that holds the baby's identity. Each time parents need to strengthen their bond with the baby or each other, they can return to the shrine.8
Pregnant mothers should not underestimate the power of bonding with their babies through the womb. Mother and baby are literally one, complete harmony. The parents have the power to tune into their unborn child's needs and must find a quiet and still place to communicate with their baby. Parents may ask the child if there is anything that he or she needs, and some ask the child why they have been so divinely chosen to be their parent. Parents may also choose to find out the child's destiny or life path. They should communicate daily. So, when the child comes to the earthly realm the parents and child are in tune. This will enable them to meet their baby's needs and be in accord.
Mothers can prepare their bodies physically. Some women prepare the perineum for birth to avoid tears; commonly, oil is rubbed on the area to increase its elasticity. Traditionally, the Buganda women of Uganda would sit in shallow baths of herbal preparations during the last few weeks of pregnancy to relax the tissues of the perineum. In nearby Sudan, the women would squat over a pot of herbs on the fire; this form of steaming moistened and softened the perineum and was widely believed to make labor easier.9
The community can also help the mother prepare for birth. Everyone is responsible for respecting and honoring the mother's queendom. Within the Afrikan community rituals are usually performed for the mother and baby. Every Afrikan mother and child should have a “blessing way,” a rite of passage for the expectant mother. Blessing ways usually have only females in attendance, including the doula and midwife. Men are sometimes in another room, drumming. In Somalia, a ceremony takes place when the mother is eight to nine months pregnant and only women are invited. Food and beverages are served and prayers are said. The mother is also pampered: “We will put some oil in her hair. Then everybody massage around the stomach, massage the muscles there.”10 The Dagara culture also has rituals for the mother-to-be:
A shrine is created for the baby during this ritual to facilitate communication between the parents and the child. The shrine usually starts with a gift of a medicine bag the grandparents bring to the ritual. Water, earth, plants, and fabrics are used to create the shrine; the shrine can also contain precious items that others at the ritual may have brought for the mother-to-be and the baby. Contents of the shrine and the medicine bag increase as the parents-to-be are guided to bring items the incoming soul will point out to them during the duration of the pregnancy.11